alisa gould simon

Sometimes you're faced with a life-changing career opportunity so intriguing, you just have to pounce on it. Such was the case for freelance fashion writer Alisa Gould-Simon, who in 2010 was on the verge of starting her own retail consulting business when she met entrepreneur Dustin Rosen. "He came from a finance and tech background and was looking for someone with a fashion background to help bring his mobile style start-up to life." So Gould-Simon put her nascent business on hold and jumped right in. The two, as she puts it, "have been plugging away ever since." Fast forward to the present and their start-up, Pose, has exploded into a multiplatform social shopping app with millions of dedicated users—including Coco Rocha and Leandra Medine—and big-name investors like Rachel Zoe and Roger Berman. But Gould-Simon admits that co-founding the "Instagram of fashion" hasn't always been smooth sailing. "The most challenging thing about getting through any transition is believing in yourself and your abilities, and focusing on the task at hand," she says. "When choosing between different professional opportunities, go where you can make the biggest impact." read more